Read Online When Next We Love by Heather Graham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Graham
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bright.
“You look great, kid, how are you doing?” he said, a grin splitting his strong features from ear to ear.
“Well, thanks.” Leigh smiled comfortably in return. “How’s life with you?”
“Can’t complain.” He let loose her shoulders to pour himself a cup of coffee and direct her to a chair. “We’ve been working like crazy. Keeping the group afloat with Richard gone—” He cut himself off and cast an apologetic grimace at Leigh. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Don’t be sorry, Roger. I’m used to talking about Richard.” She put a hand over his. “And he’s been dead a long time. You must know too that we weren’t in a state of marital bliss when it happened. But I think I look at things very objectively now. I learned a fair amount of bitterness from Richard, but I think of him fondly, not painfully. He was a brilliant man, and he also gave me a great deal of happiness. We all miss him sorely, but he is gone.”
“You are quite a lady, Leigh, you always were,” Roger said admiringly.
“Thanks!” Leigh took a sip of her coffee and changed the subject cheerfully. “So tell me—not that I’m not delighted to see you—but what are you doing here in the middle of a storm?”
“I have a place on Star Island now too. Derek called to tell me that you were here and invited me over. Kind of a hurricane party, I guess.”
“Oh?” Leigh raised delicate brows. “Who else is coming?” The other two original band members, Bobby Welles and Shane McHugh, also had homes in or around Miami to be near the recording studios. But she couldn’t imagine them coming over in the current weather. They both had wives and Bobby was the father of a two-year-old daughter.
She was surprised to see Roger looking uncomfortable again. “John Haley,” he said finally. In response to Leigh’s puzzled expression, he added, “You’ve met him a few times. He was with an American group until it split up last year. He’s an accomplished lead guitarist and flutist.” He watched his coffee cup instead of Leigh as he continued. “We wanted to stick with the original foursome. Derek wouldn’t think of replacing Richard at first. But you know”—he glanced up again with a rueful grin—“Richard and Derek were the talent behind the group. The rest of us are hangers-on. I don’t know if you’ve kept up with us at all, but the first album we cut without Richard was rough. Then we did a concert tour and everything fell on Derek. He was half dead when we finished. Anyway, we added John shortly after that.”
Leigh traced a circle around her cup and chuckled slightly. “Roger, quit apologizing. I’m glad you’ve hired John. If I remember correctly, he is very talented.”
“There you go, John.” The voice, coming from the doorway, was Derek’s. Beside him was the young man they had been discussing, John Haley. Leigh vaguely remembered meeting him on a few occasions, all of which had been pleasant.
“I told you,” Derek continued as the two entered the room and he moved to the coffee pot, “Leigh wouldn’t resent you for a second.” He handed John a cup of coffee and indicated the seat across from him as he climbed beside Leigh and gave her a brittle smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She’s not the type to carry, uh, grief too far.”
Leigh was sure that no one else caught his sardonic implication, but she mentally devised ways to manage dumping his coffee all over his lap as she smiled back. Then she turned to John with sincere welcome, ready to dispel the trepidation that lurked unhappily in his cool gray eyes. “I think it’s marvelous that you’ve joined the group, John. Richard admired you very much, and I’m sure he’d be happy to know that you were chosen.”
The naked pleasure that streaked across the newcomer’s pleasant angular features was ample reward for her honest words. “Thanks for saying that, Leigh,” he told her quietly, and she was struck by the humble sincerity
“You look great, kid, how are you doing?” he said, a grin splitting his strong features from ear to ear.
“Well, thanks.” Leigh smiled comfortably in return. “How’s life with you?”
“Can’t complain.” He let loose her shoulders to pour himself a cup of coffee and direct her to a chair. “We’ve been working like crazy. Keeping the group afloat with Richard gone—” He cut himself off and cast an apologetic grimace at Leigh. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Don’t be sorry, Roger. I’m used to talking about Richard.” She put a hand over his. “And he’s been dead a long time. You must know too that we weren’t in a state of marital bliss when it happened. But I think I look at things very objectively now. I learned a fair amount of bitterness from Richard, but I think of him fondly, not painfully. He was a brilliant man, and he also gave me a great deal of happiness. We all miss him sorely, but he is gone.”
“You are quite a lady, Leigh, you always were,” Roger said admiringly.
“Thanks!” Leigh took a sip of her coffee and changed the subject cheerfully. “So tell me—not that I’m not delighted to see you—but what are you doing here in the middle of a storm?”
“I have a place on Star Island now too. Derek called to tell me that you were here and invited me over. Kind of a hurricane party, I guess.”
“Oh?” Leigh raised delicate brows. “Who else is coming?” The other two original band members, Bobby Welles and Shane McHugh, also had homes in or around Miami to be near the recording studios. But she couldn’t imagine them coming over in the current weather. They both had wives and Bobby was the father of a two-year-old daughter.
She was surprised to see Roger looking uncomfortable again. “John Haley,” he said finally. In response to Leigh’s puzzled expression, he added, “You’ve met him a few times. He was with an American group until it split up last year. He’s an accomplished lead guitarist and flutist.” He watched his coffee cup instead of Leigh as he continued. “We wanted to stick with the original foursome. Derek wouldn’t think of replacing Richard at first. But you know”—he glanced up again with a rueful grin—“Richard and Derek were the talent behind the group. The rest of us are hangers-on. I don’t know if you’ve kept up with us at all, but the first album we cut without Richard was rough. Then we did a concert tour and everything fell on Derek. He was half dead when we finished. Anyway, we added John shortly after that.”
Leigh traced a circle around her cup and chuckled slightly. “Roger, quit apologizing. I’m glad you’ve hired John. If I remember correctly, he is very talented.”
“There you go, John.” The voice, coming from the doorway, was Derek’s. Beside him was the young man they had been discussing, John Haley. Leigh vaguely remembered meeting him on a few occasions, all of which had been pleasant.
“I told you,” Derek continued as the two entered the room and he moved to the coffee pot, “Leigh wouldn’t resent you for a second.” He handed John a cup of coffee and indicated the seat across from him as he climbed beside Leigh and gave her a brittle smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She’s not the type to carry, uh, grief too far.”
Leigh was sure that no one else caught his sardonic implication, but she mentally devised ways to manage dumping his coffee all over his lap as she smiled back. Then she turned to John with sincere welcome, ready to dispel the trepidation that lurked unhappily in his cool gray eyes. “I think it’s marvelous that you’ve joined the group, John. Richard admired you very much, and I’m sure he’d be happy to know that you were chosen.”
The naked pleasure that streaked across the newcomer’s pleasant angular features was ample reward for her honest words. “Thanks for saying that, Leigh,” he told her quietly, and she was struck by the humble sincerity
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